There are a lot of other ways it happens. If you're curious as to whether or not your school is in violation of the Establishment Clause, please contact Our High School Specialist and tell him about your situation.

If you attend a public high school and believe your school is violating the separation of church and state, there are some steps you should follow to make sure something can be done about it.

Contact a secular organization. Our High School Specialist can answer any questions you may have and provide advice on the best course of action to take.

Often, the school isn't even aware that what they're doing is inappropriate until a student brings it up. A friendly conversation with the teacher or faculty is a good first step. We offer free "Nontheistic Students in Your High School" brochures that you can give to administrators to help them understand that secular students are important but often misunderstood members of the community.

If you wish to remain anonymous or if your conversation didn't have the desired effect, we can contact your school on your behalf.

Record everything! If there is a prayer at a graduation, try to get it on tape. If a coach is leading his team in prayer, try to record it. If you speak with a school administrator and have the capability to capture the audio, do so. If emails were exchanged, try to hang onto them, etc. It can be very important to have specific examples of violations to cite.

These are just the initial steps. Hopefully your school's administration will give you equal treatment and elect to live by their legal responsibilities. If they don't, it's best to trust in the SSA and the organizations like the ones listed above who deal with this type of situation on a day-to-day basis rather than going solo.

We realize that it is not an easy task to ask your school to change their policies. We are here to make sure you don't have to do it alone.